Gearing for driving cycles.



Patented Apr. 3, I900.

I No. 646,581.

. J; H. .MANTE'L. GEARING FOR DRIVING CYCLES.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1897.) (No Model.) Z-Sheets-Sheet I.

INVENTOH A TTOHNEYS No.646,58l, v Patented Apr. 3, I900.

J. n. MANTEL.

GEA'BING FOR DRIVING CYCLES.

(Applicntion med Aug. 29, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shoat 2.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

JACOB HENDRIK MANTEL, OF VYFHUIZEN, NETHERLANDS.

GEARING FOR DRIVING CYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 646,581, dated April3, 1900.

Application filed August 28 1897. Serial No. 649,849- (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB HENDRIK MAN- TEL, a subject of the Queen ofHolland, residing at Vyfhuizen, Haarlemmermeer Noord, Netherlands, haveinvented a'certain new and useful Improvement in Gearing for DrivingCycles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gearing for reardriving cycles and the'like orwhat is known as the chainless system,.that form usually designated theAcatene being the class of gearing to which my invention applies. Suchform, as is well known, consists of an arrangement of bevel-gears on thecrank-bracket and a similar arrangement at the back wheel, the two setsof gears being connected by a driving-shaft and inclosed in casings.

The objects of my invention are to provide an extremely compact andeffective arrangement of the parts, including the dust-tight casings,and to equalize the strain on the bevel-gear to which the power is firstapplied.

In carrying out my invention I arrange the bevel-gear last referred toinside the crankbracket in such a way that the power applied to thecrank-shaft is taken equally by two sets of ball-bearings, which areplaced outside the said gear. This arrangement is highly desirable notonly in this form of driving by means of bevel-gears, but insprocket-wheel and chain driving also, Where the equal loading of bothbearings is a point which has been much tried for. The arrangement alsoenables a very effective construction of crankbracket to be obtained,such bracket almost entirely inclosing the gear with the assistance ofthe bearings, which are constructed as caps, the removal of whichenables access to be had to the gear, while the construction alsoenables the cranks and the axle to be made in one piece and to bewithdrawn to gether with the bevel-gear, if desired.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one form of myinvention, Figure 1 is asectional plan of the gear as applied to abicycle. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the crankbracket alone. Fig. 3 is anelevation of the hub of the back wheel and drivinggear. Fig. 4 is an endview of same, partly in section. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a part of abicycle to show an exterior view of the gearing as cased in.

The crank-bracket is enlarged to form a narrow ring A, with which thetube a, the diagonal tube 1), and the lower back forktubes 0 c areconnected, as shown. The ring A isinclosed on either. side by covers BB, which carry the ball-bearings for the crankaxle O. The distancebetween the bearings is made as great as possible, and the bearingsthemselves are secured in the covers B B by screw-threads and are lockedtherein by screwrings or nutsd. The covers B B are affixed to the ring Aby means of three or more screws or pins 6, Fig. 2, passing throughsuitable lugs 0n the covers.

Between the ball-bearings and on the crankaxle G is the large bevel-gearR, which is firmly affixed to the axle. This gear engages with a smallergear R, which is secured to the end of the driving-shaft D, mounted inthe back-fork tube 0. This tube 0 carries a socket c at the end, whichis recessed for the reception of the ball-bearings of the shaft D, whichshaftis preferably in the form of a tube. By mounting this shaft withinthe tube no moving parts are present on the outside of the machine,which prevents the working of dust into the parts.

At the point where the gears R and R come in contact an opening 0 isformed, Figs. 1 and 2, in the cover B, and all that is necessary torender the entire bracket and the driving gears at this point dust-proofis to cover this opening. This is effected by means of a cap K, of thinsheet metal, which for convenience of attachment is preferably made toinclose the ball-bearing on the driving-shaft, as shown, and is enlargedinto a ring 76, which is placed over one of the bearings and secured tosame by means of the adjusting screws or nuts d. The crank moves freelypast this cap K. It will be seen that after removing the covers B B thecrank O, with the bevel-gear R and even the pedals, can be taken out ofthe bracket, so that the cranlcaxle and cranks can be made all in onepiece, if desired.

The diameter of the bracket A is regulated by that of the gear R. Inladies cycles,

which are not geared -so high, usually, as mens, the part iscorrespondingly smaller and but slightly exceeds in size the bracket ofa chain-driven machine.

As the large gear R is arranged between the crank-bearings and thereforefaces the other way to that usually employed, the gear 3, mounted on therear end of the drivingshat'tD and engaging with the bevel-wheel S onthe back wheel must be situated behind the spindle E of the back wheelto secure a reversal of the motion.

The gear S is attached to the driving-shaft l') by screwing it thereto,adjusting-nuts being employed to hold it in position, and to provide forthe reception of these nuts and the ball-bearings of the shaft D it isdished or formed the shape of a bell, as shown.

The hub F of the back wheel revolves on the fixed spindle E and isprovided with a set of ball-bearings on either side. To this hub issecured the other bevel-gear S, which is preferably constructed tosurround the ballbearings on that side and is arranged within abell-shaped enlargement G of the hub, the outer periphery of whichserves for attachment of the spokes at that side of the wheel. This bellor enlarged part G serves also for the attachment of the d list-capcovering the bevel-wheels.

The attachment of the back-wheel spindle E to the back-fork tubes 0 c iselfected as follows: The left-hand end is fastened merely by a screw andnut onto the end of the socket II of the tube (1', the step L beingpreferably fixed a little higher up on the socket II instead of on thespindle, so that the bending of the spindle, which sometimes occurs inmounting the machine, is avoided. The opposite end of the spindle E isprovided with a yoke M and carries a centering-stud N, which fits into acorresponding hole in the socket P of the back-fork tube 0, Figs. 1 and4, or the spindle E may project through for this purpose. The upper andlower ends of the yoke M are bent around this socket and are securedthereto by means of screws m m, as shown. By this arrangement not onlyis the exact position of the spindle obtained, but it is also rigidlyattached to the frame and is also prevented from turning when theballbearings are being adjusted.

The driving-gear is so arranged that the driving-shaft is situated atright angles to the crank-axle and the back spindle, so that thebevel-wheels stand at right angles to each other, which constitutes agreat advantage both in the construction and mounting of the gear, whileit enables the bevel-wheels themselves to be also conveniently andaccurately adjusted.

The change of speed can be effected by means of the bevel-gear on theback spindle instead of those on the crank-axle, or the task may bedistributed between the two sets.

The dust cap orcasing T for the back bevelwheel surrounds the socket Pof the backfork tube or casing c and the bevel-Wheel S, and its edgesengage in an annular groove t on the bell-shaped part G of the backwheel. It is fastened to the socket P by means of screws, so that itsedges are kept pressed into the groove 15 and against the rotating partG, so as to be dust-tight.

In Fig. 5 only the two dust-caps K and 'l are shaded, so that theirposition on the machine is shown more plainly, the whole fortning apractical and sightly method of such construction of the driving-gear.

lVhat I claim is In combination with a cycle, a pedal-crank hangercomprising the central portion, the

covers seated removably one on each side of the central portion andextending outwardly from said seats, the ball-bearings carried by thesaid covers, the crank-axle, the gear R thereon adapted to be removedthrough the openings left by the removal of the covers, one of saidcovers having an opening 0 and a cap or lid K fitting. against the outerside of the cover, the frame-bars of the machine being secured to thehanger and the said covers being removable independent of each other andbeingindependent of the frame-bars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JACOB HENDRIK MANTEII. lVitnesses:

HENDRIK Lovnsmrn KLENAN, THOMAS HERMANNS VERHAVE.

